


Not a One-Man Job

by Mimozka



Series: 35 Days of Arrow Challenge [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Friendship, Partnership, Team Arrow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 08:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimozka/pseuds/Mimozka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He thought having a team would be his demise, but in truth they were his salvation." - Oliver reflects about his team.</p><p>For the "35 Days of Arrow" Challenge on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a One-Man Job

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt for day 14: Team Arrow.
> 
> Enjoy.

When Oliver got off the island he was absolutely convinced that his crusade must be a one-man job. After all, he was doing this in his father’s name. Being reunited with his family only strengthened that resolve. They’ve all built lives for themselves, moved on and they were in a good place. He could never share this burden with them. They deserve to remember his father as a good man and not a person who couldn’t protect his own city - and by extension his family.

There wasn’t anyone he could trust to help him in this important task. No one would understand. They would all tell him that he should let it go, leave it be, step aside and let the “professionals” handle it. 

Besides, he didn’t want to trust anyone. Trusting meant opening up to someone, that in turn resulted in showing a weakness, Oliver could not afford to be weak. He was all too aware of the risks of his mission. He didn’t want to risk anyone else’s life. He couldn’t afford to lose someone he cared about yet again. 

For five years he’s lost enough. 

He didn’t want to trust anyone. In his experience so far, every time he trusted someone they’d betrayed him and he’d ended up alone again. So it was better to do this alone. Where the only casualty would be him. He did not need more deaths on his conscience.

But as often happens in life - and in his life in particular - there are variables that he couldn’t have taken into account. And two of those went by the names of John Diggle and Felicity Smoak. 

In truth, he was the one who invited them in, promising to himself that he’ll only treat them as assets. He wouldn’t get attached in any way. Yet they’ve managed to worm their way into his heart and while at first that was a great source of distress to Oliver, now it was his greatest comfort. 

Diggle had his back. Always. They’ve gotten to a point where they didn’t even need to discuss it. It was a given. They were partners. Brothers in arms.

Felicity was often the voice of reason. In the early days she’d acted as his own Jiminy Cricket, seeing things that both he and Digg missed. She was his balance. She always managed to say or do something that would chase the shadows away when they are about to swallow him whole. Or if she couldn’t do it, she tried. She always did. And that meant more to Oliver than he could ever express in words.

He thought having a team would be his demise, but in truth they were his salvation.


End file.
